Driving Baja California's Hwy 1
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A descriptive road report so you know what to watch for along Mexico's
Hwy 1
November, 2004
The end of November I
drove every inch of Baja’s Hwy 1, twice. The road is in very good shape.
Without the impact of hurricanes this season, the road crews had a chance to
get ahead of the game. There has been a lot of resurfacing of the Hwy from
Cabo to Tijuana; some of it is on-going. There are a few bridges still under
demolition and repair, but permanent by-passes have been constructed. The
gentle rain that most of Baja received last month has made the trip
beautiful. The desert is very green and many plants are still blooming. I
enjoyed a moon rise on my southbound trip over the Boojum forest that was
breathtaking.
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Plaza de Tres Cabezas along the waterfront in Ensenada |
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This section of Hwy 1 from Ensenada to San
Quintin was very busy with truck traffic; sections to pass are limited and
dicey on the hill climbs. Don’t expect anyone to use turnouts. Choose your
opportunities carefully.
San Quintin as expanded too, but only along
the road. From Colonet to San Quintin there is heavy rural traffic, tractors
and loaded trucks. My speed was reduced to 35-40mph for about 20km. San
Quintin use to have two paved lanes and 1 Pemex (gas) Station. They have at
least 4 Pemex now and four lanes go almost all the way through town. Watch
ahead though, on two occasions the left (fast?) lane becomes the left turn
only lane.
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(Click on images in this story to expand) |
Since most of you will
start in the north, we’ll begin there. If you haven’t driven south since
last fall, pay attention at the crossing in San Ysidro. The Scenic Toll Road
now turns off into a better ramp, sweeping right, instead of back around as
it use to. The first few miles along the cement curtain (US Border) are
quite rough, busy and narrow, but once you crest the hill and turn south,
the highway is much better.
The toll plazas along the
coast are being replaced and construction is nearing completion, the plaza
closest to Ensenada is the least complete. Watch for construction workers
and traffic around these sites. The first two new plazas are 1 km south of
the existing toll booths.
 The
current northern most plaza has a mini-mart adjacent to it and cross traffic
can be difficult. It will be easier and safer when the current toll plaza is
removed. Two axel toll is $24 pesos, they take dollars and pesos but not a
combination there of. So make sure you have enough of the correct change
($72 pesos) before you hit the hwy.
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Two cyclists, Henrik & Gert, from Denmark were making there way down Baja to take the
ferry to the mainland. Panama was their ultimate destination. (click
here for their website - if you read Dane)
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From San Quintin to El Rosario the roads are
excellent and well marked. Get gas in El Rosario. The last remaining Baja
Gas Gap is from here south, about 250km to the next station. Despite the
addition of new gas stations along the way, there are still no stations in
Parador Punta Prieta or Punta Prieta. (the intersection to Bahia de los Angeles)
The road south of El Rosario
into the nature preserve is in very good shape. It was resurfaced and
striped during the summer.
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One of the several new Pemex stations along Hwy 1. I think this is the
one in Jesus Maria |
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The alternate road to Tecate is in the usual condition, as I took that route
when going north. They have revised the approach to the border crossing and
you have to dog leg into the street that takes you up to the hill to the
checkpoint. I waited 45 minutes to cross at Tecate, two simple lines, none
of the pushing and shoving that you experience at San Ysidro, where I
understand that the crossing time
Sunday evening was close to 3 hours with the weekend traffic
and returning competitors from the Baja 1000. There are several wineries
open along that hwy now; most are open from 10AM to 5PM daily for tastings.
In Ensenada I recommend
not taking the truck route. I found with all the stop signs and traffic
lights that the waterfront route is faster by far. It’s no more a challenge
for the long rig than the truck route, maybe less so.
You pass the fish wharf and the Plaza de
Tres Cabezas, the cruise ship dock
and make a left on Delante Blvd. You rejoin Hwy 1 near the Gigante store.
Hwy 1 is now 4 or more lanes for several more kilometers to the south now.
The stop lights slow you down and there is construction at the south end of
the 4 lane, as they extend it even further south.
Ensenada is growing and the city blends
right on south into the dusty pueblo of Maneadero and out toward Colonia Caňon Buenavista. Your first military check point is located before you
start up the grade of the Sierra el Encino.
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Some of the fertile green pastures long Hwy1 north of San Quintin
along the Pacific Coast. |
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 There is a local policia truck in Catavina
and the SCT highway ends outside of town. According to my sources, this
means he can legally write citations to passing motorists. All the truckers
crawl through town at the posted speed limit, so think about it. In the
legendary Catavina Vado last year’s beautiful repair seems to be coming
apart at the seams. There is a major pothole right near the middle of the
road.
Some of the best and worst of the pavement
of the trip occurs in the “Valle de los Cirios” (Valley of the Candles)
protected area north of Guerrero Negro. There is resurfacing in process here
on the southern most part of
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Looking across the Boojum forest in the Valle de los Cirios north of
Cativina. |
Hwy 1 in
Baja California, and for good reason. This section of road has been the roughest since I
have been driving Baja. There are 4 road states in this area; 1) Old, rough
and pockmarked, 2) Scraped for resurfacing 3) Rolled cold patch and finally
the finished… 4) Beautiful machine laid black asphalt. There are no lines
painted on that new pavement so in the dark, the road disappears.
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